Best Lunch Spots
If you’re not brown bagging it you need places for lunch. You probably know some near home and work. But you might discover ones you’re not aware of. Also there’s times you’re having lunch in a different part of town. Cut to the chase with this list.
1. Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse
Vancouver – East
Fun hibachi restaurant. The Japanese chefs are very entertaining. Similar to Bennie Hannah’s if you’ve ever been there. The soup is just broth. The salad is better. Ample parking. PRO TIP: The lunch specials are a great value. Typically $10+ less per meal.
2. Zach’s Shack
Portland – Central
Best in VanPort. I like the New York with their red hot spicy sausage. They offer a smattering of beers and a few pedestrian cocktails. Not many tables. Having said that, I always find a spot. Great hot dog joints are very rare. Let’s try to keep this one around!
3. Crave Grille
Vancouver – East
Crave rocks! One of the best Vancouver eateries with fantastic food and great service. Even their salads are amazing. People often focus on their burgers but Crave has one of the best selection of sandwiches in town like their Prime Rib Dip and Not Your Grandma’s Grilled Cheese. They have the best Cuban sandwich I’ve had. PRO TIP: If you like spicy ask to sub pickles for Jalapenos. They serve cocktails but they’re very pedestrian. It’s the only thing they serve that’s average.
BREAKFAST: Crave serves breakfast starting at 7am. The Hangover has bit of everything. The bacon, ham and sausage are good. Eggs are eggs. The pancakes were huge and a meal itself. Their steak burrito is the about the best breakfast burrito in the territory. EVERYTHING comes with potatoes. The coffee is not great and definitely not worth four bucks. Happy hour: 2-4 and 8-close.
4. Franks A Lot
Portland – Central
Great hot dog joints are rare. I’m always on the lookout for excellent ones. Franks has been on my list to try for months. Most places offer one or possibly two different wieners. Usually the options are just toppings. Franks has about a dozen dogs to choose from. That’s legit! I ordered the Red Hot Frank which is their spiciest. I went with yellow mustard, cheddar and onion. It was truly fantastic. The price is excellent too. It’s just $7.75. The cheese was a little more, but worth it. Next time I will add chili. It’s a stand so the limited seating is outdoors. Ample parking. Franks-A-Lot is one of the best.
5. Buenos Días Mexican Cuisine
Vancouver – East
This is not your run of the mill Mexican joint. No chips and salsa. No margaritas. But you’ll find the cleanest, gourmet Mexican food in the area. They have a big emphasis on breakfast hence their name. It’s served all day. The suadero burrito is perfect. When you take a bite you can taste each ingredient distinctly. They have three sauces for you to choose from. Two green and one red. We like the red one the best. None of them are super spicy. They told me that they’re going to have one soon that will have more kick. I was recommend the Jamaica drink. The chilaquiles con huevo Y carne is delicious.
6. Killer Burger
Both – Various
Killer Burger is my favorite cheeseburger. My go-to is the Jose Mendoza. The chicken sandwich is tasty, especially with buffalo sauce. PRO TIP: If you like spicy, ask for serrano peppers. They don’t have it on the menu but if you ask…
7. Juliano’s
Vancouver – East
Juliano’s is a substancial pie. Slices are available for lunch for a great price. You only need one unless you’re famished.
8. Matt’s BBQ
Portland – North
One of the best food carts in PDX. Epic BBQ coming out of a funky trailer. Loads of character and flavor. Expect a line. If you like spicy ask for Jalapenos. They’re wonderfully cooked whole which has a different flavor and texture.
9. Steak Your Claim
Vancouver – East
Philly cheese steaks by the same owner as Magnolia Tavern next door. SYC takes pride in serving authentic East coast sandwiches. The Broad Street Bully is a great value. Normally I have cheesesteaks at Steak Your Claim but their other claim to fame are their Pastrami sandwiches. The most common choice is a Reuben which my wife ordered. I don’t like sauerkraut so I tried their Brooklyn Midnight sandwich. It has Pastrami, ham, yellow mustard, provolone and usually pickles. But I’m not a pickle guy so I had them sub it out for jalapenos. I figured it would be decent but not as good as their cheesesteaks. But OH-MY-GOODNESS! These sandwiches were epic. They were piping hot and packed with meat. So hot it was challenging eating with out burning our mouths. That was the best sandwich I’ve had in a long time. We felt the price ($16 & $17) was reasonable too. It was so good I’ll be hard pressed to order a cheesesteak there again. Just writing this makes me want to go back have another Brooklyn Midnight. I know. I’m gushing…but dang! ✌🏼
10. Los Bros Taco Shop
Vancouver – East
Los Bros is quick, cheap and their food is yummy. Plus there’s plenty of parking. It’s a no brainer. They have lots of protein choices for their tacos. I went with carne asada, al pastor, carnitas and shredded beef. The al pastor wins for the most flavor. The machaca breakfast burrito is good. The sausage version is just ok. A huge win for me are their sauces. I’m a fan of their red. The green is for those that think ketchup is kind of spicy. It has zero heat. Another plus is that they’re open everyday at 6am…except Friday. You’d think Sunday, but hey! I’m happy to have a place open that early.
11. NYC Pizzeria
Both – Two locations
Best legit NYC style pizza joint in the area. Large slices. Good assortment of sodas and beer. Staff are friendly.
12. Roake’s
Portland – two locations
Roake’s is special. Not too many eateries have been around since 1937. There’s a reason why and it’s because they stick to what they do well and give people what they want. When I write about hot dogs, often times people will mention Roake’s. My favorite hot dog in the area is Zach’s Shack but Roake’s is its own thing much like In-N-Out is in its own lane when it comes to burgers. The joint has a cool 1950’s vibe with vinyl booths and doo-wop music. I ordered the long sausage. with mustard, onion and Coney Roake’s sauce. It looks like mess in the photo but it was tasty. It wasn’t like what I expect from a sausage. My daughter went with their regular dog. I’ll probably just go with that next time. We also ordered some fries and a bowl of chili. It was nice for dipping the fries.
13. Bruchi’s Cheesesteaks & Subs
Vancouver – North
One of my favorite sub sandwich joints. Their Philly cheesesteak variations are fantastic. Perhaps not as traditional by I really like them. My go-to is the Pepper Steak (Steak topped with jalapeños, pepperoncinis, and melted white American cheese) and add pepperoni. The flavor is delicious. I can’t put my finger on what makes it taste so good. All the flavors are just working together. PRO TIP: Get the larger sandwich and save half for the next day. I find it’s just as good.
14. House Of Beijing
Vancouver – West
One of the better Chinese joints in Vancouver. Massive portions and funky, tacky decor but the food is delicious. The best dish so far is the Szechuan chicken. I asked for it to be spicy and it was. Most Chinese restaurants you have to beat them with a rubber hose to get them to make it spicy but House of Beijing nails it.
15. Keo Thai Cuisine
Battleground
Staple neighborhood Thai eatery in a shopping center. Great for lunch. The food is always good. Parking is easy.
16. Lardo
Portland – Central
One the best carnivore sandwich shops in Portland. Everything is delicious so far. We tried the Korean pork shoulder and Nashville hot sandwiches. Street parking is catch as catch can.
17. Philadelphia’s Steaks & Hoagies
Portland – South
Philadelphia is one of the places cork sniffing cheesesteak enthusiasts mention when debating on where to find the best. I tried their Pepper Cheesesteak that has rib-eye, Swiss-American cheese, bell peppers and onions. The bread was moist and not too thick. (They sell a package of 6 their hoagie buns.) The sandwich tasted good but I would have liked more flavor. If I go again I’ll try their Pizza Steak. The shop has a relaxed vibe. One guy was running the whole operation. They have a couple TVs. Unfortunately it conflicts with the classic rock played over the system. Street parking was ok but I’m sure it could be challenging during peak hours. Philadelphia’s is a great choice if you’re in the area. If you’re a cork sniffer you might like Grant’s or Philly Bilmo’s more.
18. La Valentina
Vancouver – Northwest
La Valentina is in a converted Pizza Hut on Highway 99. I really like the flavor of their spicy salsa. Their margaritas were fab. I had low expectations because their bar is very small and no stools to belly up. That’s not usually a good sign but on the contrary, I like them better than the standard margarita at Los Portillos (my go-to). They use Hornito’s. I believe it was the reposado. La Valentina serves large portions of good food. Two meals and two Cadillac margaritas came to $76 before tip.
19. Feast@316
Camas
Best fish & chips on the Vancouver side of the river. But only for lunch.
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